An historical account of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters of the City of London. Compiled chiefly from Records in their possession

Front matter

HISTOKICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 21torsf)t|)fui ©nutpang as " An Haberdasher, and a Carpenter, A Webbe, a Deyer, and a Tapiser, Were alle yclothed in o livere, Of a solempne and grete fraternite. Fui freshe and newe hir gere ypiked was ; Hir Knives were ychaped not with bras, But all with silver wrought fui clene and wel, Her girdeles and her pouches every del." Chaucer. — Prologue to Canterbury Tales. Plate A.] [W. W. Pocock, F.U.I.B.A., Architect. CARPENTERS' HALL A.D. 1SS0. AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE (gompang of @arpettters OF THE CITY OF LONDON COMPILED CHIEFLY FROM RECORDS IN THEIR POSSESSION BV EDWARD BASIL JUPE CLERK OF THE COMPANY .SECOSD EDITION, WITH A .SUPPLEMENT BY WILLIAM WILLB1ER POCOCK, F.R.I.B.A. A PAST MASTER LONDON PICKERING & CHATTO " In youthe he lerned hadde a good mistere ; He was a wel good wright, a Carpentere." Prologue to Canterbury Tale*.

ADVERTISEMENT.

TO THIS EDITION. The original edition of this work having become ex hausted, arrangements were made and the press set in motion for another, it being intended that a new preface should add the facts necessary to bring down the history to the present time. An inspection of some of the later records of the Company made with this view seemed to render it desirable that this addition should be extended beyond the limits originally contemplated, and a Supple ment was then proposed, and ultimately determined upon. Had this determination been arrived at on an earlier date, symmetry would have suggested the re-casting of the whole, the additional labour involved being comparatively light. This, however, would have destroyed the identity of the original, and as that undoubtedly contains the more salient points of the Company's history, the resulting unity might not have been an altogether unmixed advantage.